Sayaka Osakabe

Sayaka Osakabe (小酒部 さやか, Osakabe Sayaka, born May 29, 1978) is a Japanese women's rights activist.[1] She pursued legal action for enforcement of Japan's Equal Opportunities law and obtained recognition from the government that maternal harassment is illegal. She was a 2015 winner of the US State Department's International Women of Courage Award.[2]

Sayaka Osakabe
Sayaka Osakabe receives the International Women of Courage Award in 2015
Born (1978-05-29) May 29, 1978
Japan　Kanagawa
NationalityJapanese
OccupationArt director, women's activist
Years active2014–present
Known forWomen's activist President of specified nonprofit corporation MATAHARA Net

Biography

Sayaka Osakabe was born in Japan in 1978.[1] She was working as a magazine editor when she became pregnant. Rather than approve shorter working hours, her boss tried to pressure her to quit her job. After suffering two miscarriages, Osakabe asked for approved leave of absence should she become pregnant again and was denied. Osakabe quit her job under duress and pursued her case with a labor tribunal.[3] In June, 2014, she won her case and formed a support group called Matahara Net, using a portmandeau of the English words "maternity and harassment" to create the name,[4] which has now become a legal term.[5]

As of 2019, the World Economic Forum ranks Japan 121th in the world in workplace equality[6] and official labor statistics show one in four working women have experienced maternity harassment.[7] Though Japanese law guarantees women the right to seek less physically demanding roles during pregnancy and allows 14 weeks of maternity leave or parental leave, for either parent, in conjunction with childbirth, many women fail to utilize the guarantees due to perceived job insecurity.[4]

On 18 September 2014 Matahara members attended a trial at the Supreme Court in support of another woman undergoing a similar situation. The woman was demoted by her hospital employer during her pregnancy. A lower court ruling found that it was "in the scope of the hospital authority over personnel issues to remove her from her supervisory position," but Japan's Equal Employment Opportunity Law specifically bans demotion due to pregnancy.[3] In a landmark ruling issued 23 October 2014, the Supreme Court of Japan overturned the lower court verdicts and ruled that demotion or other punitive measures based on pregnancy violate the Equal Employment Opportunity Law.[8]

Osakabe continues her efforts with Matahara Net promoting the empowerment of women. Her goal is to change public policy and social perception so that all women, rather than an elite few, will have equal work opportunities.[9]

Thanks to Osakabe's actions and commitment, maternal harassment has been punishable by law in Japan since 2017.[6]

References
  1. Stewart, Devin (January 29, 2015). "Abenomics Meets Womenomics". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  2. "Biographies of 2015 Award Winners". U.S. State Department. March 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-03-07. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  3. Okabayashi, Sawa (4 October 2014). "Women joining hands to combat 'maternity harassment' at work". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  4. Tomisawa, Ayai; Ando, Ritsuko (25 September 2014). "Women fight maternity harassment in the shadow of 'Abenomics'". The Japan Times. Reuters. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  5. Okunuki, Hifumi (23 September 2013). "Matahara: turning the clock back on women's rights". The Japan Times. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  6. Grouard, Salomé (2020-07-24). "Au Japon, la stigmatisation des féministes". Slate.fr (in French). Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  7. Uhlmann, Chris (November 3, 2014). "Hopes that court cases will challenge Japan's gendered workplaces". vocalook. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  8. Okunuki, Hifumi (29 October 2014). "'Maternity harassment' verdict benefits women, men — and our humanity". The Japan Times. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  9. Staff Report (7 March 2015). "U.S. 'matahara' activist calls U.S. award 'encouragement' to working women, says more must be done". The Japan Times. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
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